Missouri to Have America's First AG Weekend Mitigation Bank - The Nation's first agricultural wetland mitigation bank for farming activities is being established on a 73-acre farm in Southeast Missouri. The bank is a project of NRCS and American Farmland Trust. NRCS will provide technical assistance and will hold the easement in perpetuity. The project offers producers who want to convert farmed wetlands to non-wetlands in the mitigation bank service area the opportunity to purchase wetland credits. Each acre of restored wetland is equal to one wetland credit. Funds for the restoration, including a 7-acre berm enclosing the wetland, will come from money paid into the mitigation bank by farmers who purchase wetland credits to satisfy Federal and State permit requirements. The landowner will be responsible for long-term management, maintenance, and taxes on the property. Your contact is Diana Morse, Public Affairs Specialist, NRCS NHQ, on (202) 720-4772, or at diana.morse@usda.gov

NRCS NEWSLINK! Read the NRCS news release about America's first agricultural wetland mitigation bank at http://www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/CCS/nmitigat.html

FY99 Earth Team FIGURES Out of This World! - The volunteer spirit is alive and well and living in NRCS' Earth Team Volunteer Program. Here's a look at the Earth Team's fantastic figures for FY99:

• NRCS received $59 of service for each dollar it invested in the program.
• The total value of services rendered: $10.4 million!
• The agency's goal of 20,000 volunteers by 2000 was shattered. In FY99, 29,292 folks volunteered their time to the Earth Team.
• The number of offices using volunteers leaped from 60 to 73 percent, the largest increase since 1982.

Earth Team volunteers, NRCS thanks you for a super-fine '99!

Soil Scientists List American "Language of the Land" - NRCS soil scientists are in a word, or in words, showing that American Indians were the first soil scientists. They are compiling a list of soil names of American Indian origin. Names include: Abenaki, a Montagnais word meaning "people of the dawn" or "easterners," and Agawam, which was a sub-tribe of the Wampanoag Confederation that lived in the Connecticut River Valley in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Winooski, the name of the town where NRCS' Vermont State office is located, is derived from the Abenaki word Winoskitegw, which means "onion land river." NRCS soil scientists intend to compile a complete list of soil names used in New England and eastern New York. Your contact is Anne Hilliard, State Public Affairs Specialist, on (802) 951-6796x234.

Outreach Reaches New Levels in SE, South Central Regions - Regional Conservationist Charles Adams' recent recognition of extraordinary efforts by NRCS State outreach coordinators Angie Billups, Ed Gephardt, Ann Bowens, and Herb Bourque reflects an exciting commitment to outreach in the Southeast and South Central Regions. "Outreach in the regions is reaching new levels," says Lesia Young, Southeast Regional Outreach Coordinator and Acting South Central Regional Outreach Coordinator. "It has become a customer-driven process rather than an agency-driven program. Stakeholders in the local communities have more say in the process." Small farm communities throughout the South East and South Central Regions are becoming empowered and identifying and addressing their own needs through more organized and unified fronts. "New community-based organizations and outreach advisory councils are getting established to meet the agriculture and conservation challenges of a new millennium," said Young. For information about outreach in the Southeast and South Central Regions, contact Lesia on (404) 347-6157. (Submitted by Suzanne Pugh, NRCS Southeast Marketing Specialist, and Belinda Duke, NRCS South Central Marketing Specialist.).

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Focusing on Change In the New Millenium

A Message from Vivian A. Dickson

NRCS National Environmental Justice Coordinator

As our Nation enters a new millennium, we still have too many families, homes, and communities suffering from decisions about the environment that were made without careful consideration of possible consequences and social inequities. Preventing and solving these problems is the focus of environmental justice, which incorporates social justice into mainstream environmentalism and takes a holistic approach toward the environment and problem solving.

As people who are committed to bringing the advantages of natural resources conservation to a broad range of customers, we must always be aware of breaches of environmental justice. Here's an example of such a breach: A customer's land had been damaged by a structure that was installed or developed by a Federal agency. The agency neglected the structure and did not provide proper upkeep. The landowner informs the appropriate officials about the problem, but no action is taken, and he or she is accused of causing the consequences of the agency's negligence.

In our day-to-day activities, we should always be aware of issues related to environmental justice. By doing so, we can place environmental justice where it needs to be. Throughout neighborhoods and our Nation, and into the mainstream.

For more information on environmental justice efforts in NRCS, please contact Vivian on (202) 720-0768.

HONORS AND ACCOLADES

Dr. Peter Smith Wins Prestigious USDA Public Policy Award - Well-deserved congratulations go out to Dr. Peter Smith for winning the USDA Economists Group's Fred Woods Public Policy Award for 1999. Dr. Smith serves as Director of NRCS' Resource Economics and Social Sciences Division at National Headquarters where he leads policy analyses on farm and natural resource legislation and assures that agency personnel have in hand high-quality economic and social science materials. Dr. Smith's accomplishments at national and international levels in policy development cover issues as diverse as community-based food security, animal waste management, water quality, risk assessment, bio-based products, and small farm sustainability. Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Smith has focused on policy analysis and development. The USDA's Economic Research Service and Office of Environmental Quality, the Environmental Protection Agency, and numerous professional boards and associations have also been graced by Dr. Smith's dedication and expertise. Thank you, Dr. Smith, for your outstanding and longstanding service!

SPECIAL EVENTS

January 2000

 

20th Annual Ecological Farming Conference

Monterey, California

January 19-22

Conducted by the Committee for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA) and one of the best annual ecological farming conferences in the West. For more information, call Lamaia Hoffmann, Soil Conservationist, at (831) 475-1967, or contact CSA directly at 406 Main St., Suite 313, Watsonville, CA 95076. Phone (831) 763-2111; fax (831) 763-2112; or visit www.csa-efc.org

NEW!

No-Till on the Plains Conference

Salina, Kansas

January 24-25

The conference focuses on farmer-to-farmer idea exchange on all aspects of no-till. Keynoting will be former NRCS Chief Bill Richards and a no-till farmer from Ohio who will address carbon sequestration. Conference information is available at http://www.residue.org

 

National Association of Conservation Districts 54th Annual Meeting

Colorado Springs, Colorado

January 30 to February 3, 2000

Registration information and agenda are at http://nacdnet.org/meetings/00annual/

 

22nd Annual Zero Till Workshop

Minot, North Dakota

January 31-February 1-2

Sponsored by the Manitoba-North Dakota Zero Till Farmers Association.

 

February 2000

 

Working at a Watershed Level

California State University, Stanislaus

Turlock, California

February 7-11

An introductory-level training program for watershed group coordinators and members, agency staff, consultants and others addressing watershed issues. Will focus on watersheds in California's Central Valley that support natural production of Chinook salmon, steelhead, and other anadromous fish. Your contact is Ashley Griffen, CSU Stanislaus Foundation, on (209) 667-3062. Her fax number is (209) 667-3026.

 

NEW!

Livestock Conference 2000-A New Era

Colby, Kansas

February 11

Sponsored by the Western Prairie RC&D Area. Topics include: Direct and Cooperative Marketing, Grass-Fed and Alternative Livestock Production, Livestock technology, Grazing Systems, Ranch Tourism. For more information, call Western Prairie RC&D at (785) 462-2602.

 

53rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Range Management

Boise, Idaho

February 13-18

Registration begins November 15, 1999

 

International Erosion Control Association, 31st Annual Conference and Expo

Palm Springs, California

February 21-25

 

Agricultural Outlook Forum 2000

Arlington, Virginia

February 24-25

Topics include: Farm Prospects, 2000 and Beyond; Future of Farming and Rural America; Farming Under Contract; Impact of Agribusiness Mergers; New Markets: E-Commerce, Organics, and Industrial Uses. Updates on speakers http://www.usda.gov/oce To get updates by e-mail, send an e-mail to agforum@oce.usda.gov

March 2000

 

Farming and Ranching for Profit, Stewardship, and Community

Portland, Oregon

March 7-9

Innovative agricultural techniques, scientific research, networking, visions of the future, and examples of successful sustainable agriculture. Sponsored by USDA Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, with contributions from land-grant universities and the Federal sustainable agriculture effort. Deadline for scholarship applications is January 21; contact Jim Freeburn or Lori Schafer on (307) 532-8892.

Check the web site at http://wsare.usu.edu/2000

Asian Pacific Islander Organization 2nd Annual Training Conference

March 14-17

San Diego, California

Theme: "The Pacific Rim: Leading America Into the New Millennium." Contacts: Mon Yee at (909) 869-2191, e-mail mon.yee@ca.usda.gov, Virginia Lewis at (505) 761-4408, e-mail virginia.lewis@nm.usda.gov, and Quan D. Quan at (602) 280-8832, e-mail qquan@az.nrcs.usda.gov

NACD Spring Legislative Conference

March 19-22

Washington, DC

For information, see NACD's web site at http://nacdnet.org/meetings Your contact is Robert Raschke on (303) 988-1810. His fax number is (303) 988-1896

10th Annual Non-Industrial Private Forest Landowners Conference

March 20-21

Moscow, Idaho

The Clearwater RC&D Council hosts "Forest Stewardship Management: Looking Ahead into the New Millennium." Sessions include: What Can Regulations Do for Us and to Us?; Practicing What They Preach on Their Own Land; Envisioning Your Land in the New Millenium; and Forest Health: Managing the Millennium Bugs and Other Pests. Contacts: Dan Pierce on (208) 882-4960, ext. 4; and Harry Lee on (208) 885-6900; or e-mail: crcdc@moscow.com

 

New Income Opportunities from Specialty Products: Agroforestry in the Northeast

March 23-25

Portland, Maine

A regional conference to help shape the future and success of agroforestry in the Northeast. Sponsored by NRCS, the Maine and New England associations of RC&D's, and USDA's National Agroforestry Center. Visit the Web site at

http://www.thresholdtomaine.org/agroforestry/, or contact Velma Orcutt, Down East RC&D, at (207) 546-2368 or Velma.Orcutt@me.usda.gov

Global Sustainability Conference

Springfield, Illinois

March 28-29, 2000.

Carbon sequestration and ecological practices in agriculture and forestry, global warming, water quality, bio-energy, soil health, world food security, production agriculture, and ecological economics. Sponsored by the Gallatin County Soil & Water Conservation District and the Shawnee RC&D Council. E-mail: Michele.Gidcumb@ilridgway.fsc.usda.gov

For more information, see the conference agenda on the NRCS Illinois web site at: www.il.nrcs.usda.gov

 

NEW!

Managing Nutrients and Pathogens from Animal Agriculture

Camp Hill, Pennsylvania

March 28-30

A forum to present recent research, field experiences, and government responses regarding interactions of animal agriculture and the environment in the Eastern U.S. Topics include: Nutrients and Water Quality, NRCS and EPA Goals in Nutrient Management, Feed Management To Reduce Excess Nutrients, Manure Management Practices, and Nutrient and Pathogen Transport in Watersheds. USDA's Water Quality Working Group provided seed money for the conference. For more information, contact the Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service on (607) 255-7654, or by fax on (607) 254-8770.

 

April 2000

 

Nation's First Upstream Flood Control Rehabilitation Project Celebration

Cheyenne, Oklahoma

April 14

Site 2 Sergeant Major Creek will be rededicated after complete rehabilitation of the 50-year dam, which will extend its life for another 100 years.

Forest Utilization Conference & Equipment Expo

Western Hills Resort, Sequoyah State Park, Wagoner, Oklahoma

April 26-28

Contact Ouachita Mountains RC&D on (918) 423-2479, or at omrcandd@icok.net

 

May 2000

 

The Culture, Economics, and Ecology of Ranching West of the 100th Meridian

Colorado State University at Fort Collins

May 4-6

Will bring together people who have devoted their lives to thinking, practicing, and helping change the culture, ecology, and economics of ranching. Sponsored by NRCS, American Farmland Trust, the Western Center for Integrated Resource Management, The Nature Conservancy, and others. For registration information, contact CSU's Office of Conference Services on (970) 491-6222.

 

Use of Conservation Buffers on Urbanizing Landscapes

Arbor Day Farm, Nebraska City, Nebraska

May 9-11, 2000

For more information, please check the National Arbor Day Foundation's web site on

http://www.arborday.org

 

Sustainability of Wetlands and Water Resources: How Well Can Riverine Wetlands Continue To Support Society into the 21st Century?

University of Mississippi at Oxford

May 23-25

Information is available at http://130.74.129.109/

June 2000

 

Association of State Floodplain Managers' 24th Annual Conference

Austin, Texas

June 16-23, 2000.

"Floodplain Management 2000 and Beyond: A New Beginning in a New Millenium." For reservations, call (512) 477-1234.

 

National Association of RC&D Councils Conference

Ogden, Utah

June 18-21, 2000

Your contacts are the National Association of RC&D Councils on (202) 434-4780, and David Spann, Coordinator, Bonneville RC&D Office, 1030 West 5370 South, Murray, Utah 84123. Phone: (801) 262-6838. Fax: (801) 263-3667. E-mail: mpatten@ditell.com

 

July 2000

 

NEW!

SWCS Annual Conference: Gateway to the Future-Conserving Private Land

St. Louis, Missouri

July 8-12

Information is available on the Soil and Water Conservation Society's Web page at http://www.swcs.org Your contact is Charlie Persinger, SWCS, Director of Member Services, 7515 NE Ankeny Road, Ankeny, Iowa 50021-9764. Voice: (515) 289-2331, ext. 12. Fax: (515) 289-1227. Email: charliep@swcs.org

 

August 2000

 

International Conference on Riparian Ecology and Management in Multi-Land Use Watersheds

Portland, Oregon

August 27-31

An event of the American Water Resources Association, and co-sponsored by NRCS, this conference will provide a forum for discussion of biological, physical, chemical, social, and economic aspects of riparian areas and stream corridors. For more information, visit http://www.awra.org/meetings/Portland/Portland.html or Bruce Newton at the National Water and Climate Center, at bnewton@wcc.nrcs.gov

 

Carbon: Exploring the Benefits to Farmers and Society

August 29-31

Des Moines, Iowa

Ag perspectives on emerging policies and technologies involving carbon management and sequestration and other greenhouse gases. Focus on the impacts and benefits of carbon sequestration affecting ag producers, society and the environment. Hear ideas from a cross-section of policy, science, and industry perspectives. Contact Jim Cooper, Coordinator, Chariton Valley RC&D at 515/437-4376 or jcooper@cvrcd.org

 

October 2000

 

Third Biennial Conference on Understanding Each Other and Working Together for a Better Future

October 24-25

Eugene, Oregon

Forum for agricultural interests, government, and environmentalists to discuss issues relevant to agriculture and water quality. Perspectives presented in a non-confrontational forum and others see and understand other points of view. For more information, see the conference's Web site at http://www.agwaterqualitynw.org

 

December 2000

 

National Conference on Grazing Lands

Las Vegas, Nevada

December 5-8

Economic and environmental effects of proper grazing lands management. Sponsored by NACD, Grazing Lands and Public Lands Committee, the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI), and others. Abstracts for oral and poster papers accepted until April 1. Contact John W. Peterson, NCGL Program Manager, by phone on (703) 455-6886, or fax at (703) 455-6888, or by e-mail on jwpeterson@erols.com

 

May 2001

 

National Watershed Coalition Conference

Richmond, Virginia

May 20-24

"QUOTE OF THE WEEK"

We master Nature not by force, but by understanding.

-- Jacob Bronowski, 20th Century Scientist, Philosopher, Author

"NRCS THIS WEEK" WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Please send correspondence and material for "NRCS This Week" to the editor by: e-mail to: brad.fisher@usda.gov; or by fax to: Editor, "NRCS This Week," 202-720-1564; or by mail to: Editor, "NRCS This Week," NRCS, P.O. Box 2890, Washington, D.C. 20013

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Addresses and telephone numbers for NRCS' Civil Rights Staff are: NRCS Civil Rights Program Compliance Division, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Mail Stop 5471, Beltsville, MD 20705-5471; phone: (301) 504-2287. NRCS Civil Rights Employment Division, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Mail Stop 5472, Beltsville, MD 20705-5472; phone: (301) 504-2181.

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